


What could have been

by PerriewinkleNerdie



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 11:29:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20759636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie
Summary: There are minutes left before she marries the man of her life, when he comes knocking on the door





	What could have been

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!   
We have a very first giveaway fic from my fabulous sister, my bby, my hun, my pierdolec, my partner in crime @paleweasels  
She demanded angst, and I tried to deliver, but… I don’t know, you’ll be the judge if I made it work :D  
Enjoy! <3

**Present day**

Long dress. Intricate details, gemstones sparkling in the soft light that sun cast as it came in through an open window. A delicate breeze that moved her copper hair, flowers that Sienna placed in between her strands, standing out brightly against the redness. Her green eyes, shining and wide, playful and happy sparks in them.

A knock on the door that pierced through the silence. She continued looking at her reflection in the mirror for a little while longer, almost as if she didn’t hear it, before calling out for the person behind the wooden panel. She observed the pattern of the skirt of her dress as she heard the door opening and closing.

“Sienna, I’ll be right out, is someth-“ she moved her eyes back to the mirror and air caught in her throat. The reflection showed her not the person she expected to see. She turned around rapidly, her blood freezing and boiling at the same time.

“_Ethan?”_

\---- ---- ----

**Four years ago**

They were sitting in his living room, glasses of wine on the table, music playing softly in the background. But that was not what could be heard in the apartment. Everything that normally could be noticed was overshadowed by screams, loud argument that shook the walls.

“What do you mean you are moving to another hospital?” Ethan exclaimed, standing up to build some distance between them.

“I didn’t say I’m moving, I just said that I got a proposition of a job. I never said I would take it.” she was sitting on the couch, looking up at him, her emotions bubbling in her chest.

“Why would they give you a job offer if you didn’t reach out to them in the first place?”

“I didn’t reach out to anyone! They contacted me on their own, said that they are impressed with my job and would love to have me on their team. Why is that so hard for you to believe?” she shouted, digging her nails into her palms to stop herself from blowing up.

“That’s not what this was about-“

“Then _what_ is this about? Enlighten me, because quite frankly, I find it hard to understand where all this anger is coming from.”

“You’re going to leave me!”

Their screams were getting louder the longer they argued, moving around the room as they watched each other. It got to the point that he was against the wall, she was standing in front of him, their breaths elevated, eyes burning.

“I still don’t get why you’re so upset about it.” she dug her finger into his chest, pushing him further up against it.

“Were you going to tell me that you got it? That you were leaving? No, you were not. You were about to just up and leave and-“

_“I’m sorry._ But when you decided to quit your job and leave the hospital, you didn’t tell me about it prior to your decision. You didn’t ask me how I felt about it. You just did, and you disappeared.” Her voice got quiet, her eyes sending daggers into him, slicing him into million pieces.

“That’s different.” He argued, his voice still stern and cold.

“_Oh, really? How_ exactly is that different? How is it that when I do something, it’s bad, but when you do it, it’s okay? I’m tired of this Ethan. You claim that you respect me, that you believe in me, but the second that is put up to the test, you backpedal. I don’t want to live like this.” her voice was shaking now, cracking as she was struggling not to cry. “Tell me. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t walk out this door right now.”

She was looking at him, his eyes were lost, scared, running over her face. Searching for answers he needed, looking for something to help him out of this messed up situation. Nothing was there, but she was waiting for him to say something. His throat closed, he tried, he really tried to speak, to tell her all that he wanted to tell her, all that she longed to hear, but he couldn’t. He opened his mouth, and nothing came out. She shook her head, stepping back away from him as air left her lungs. Tears fell down her face, and he tried reaching out for her, but she knocked his hand away.

“Thought so. Goodbye, Ethan.”

The sound of the door slamming shut was the last thing that could be heard in the apartment that night.

\---- ---- ----

**Present day**

Their eyes met for the first time since that fateful night. Ethan’s heart squeezed as he felt the sense of familiarity wash over him. Looking at her was like taking a deep breath. She was as beautiful as the first day he met her, as fierce as always, as confident as always. In any other circumstances he would tell her all that, but now was not the time, nor the place. And he had no right to ruin that for her, even though his whole body was screaming for her.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered, stunned into silence by his mere presence.

“I came to see you. I had to see you-“

“How did you know where to find me?” she interrupted him, shaking her head slightly.

“Sienna guided me here. She said something about ‘killing me if it wasn’t for the closure’.” He pointed towards the door, laughing a little at the memory. She laughed too, knowing well that her friend was capable of such things.

“That sounds like her. But I still don’t understand. Why exactly are you here, Ethan? What did you want to achieve by coming here today?”

He took a step towards her, his eyes trained on her as distance between them was shrinking with every second. She shook her head softly, trying to stop him, but her body was reacting just as strongly as it was four years ago, and before she knew it, their knees were touching, air was electrified, and their eyes were locked.

“Ethan…”

“I missed you, Claire.” He reached over to her, brushing his hand against her cheek. Her eyes closed, letting out a small breath.

“You have no right to do this to me. It was you that messed up-“

“And it was you that ran away. We were so good together, Claire. You remember-“

\---- ---- ----

**Four years ago**

The door to his office was closed and locked, lights were turned off almost completely if it wasn’t for the lamp in the corner, bathing the room in the soft light. The room was silent if it wasn’t for the sound of bodies moving against one another and breaths, deep groans and desperate moans that were ringing in the dim space.

He had her laying flat on his desk, his hands pining hers to the table, fingers laced. His forehead was resting on her collarbone as he moved against her. Their hips slammed against one another, her legs wrapped around him, pulling him closer to her. He picked up his pace, groaning in the back of his throat as he sucked on her skin, leaving a purple mark.

“Ethan…” she breathed, her grip on his hands tightening as she reached her peak, hiding her face in his neck as she bit her lip, doing everything she could not to scream. Three more snaps of his hips and he followed her, moaning as he kissed her, suppressing his urge to shout her name.

They were breathing heavily, pulling themselves together as the silence fell over them. He laughed, kissing her forehead softly, helping her get up. Their hands began smoothing their clothing, hair, making themselves presentable again.

“Are you okay now?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling herself against him. He hugged her, nuzzling his nose against her cheek.

“Yeah. Sorry if I was too rough. I was stressed, which is not an excuse, but-“ she cut him off with a kiss, laughing.

“Calm. Down. You won’t hear me complaining, Mister. And besides, I know you were stressed, and if I was able to help you, it was my pleasure. Now, let’s go save lives.” She winked, pulling him out the door with her.

\---- ---- ----

**Present Day**

“Ethan, it doesn’t work like that. You can’t do this, and you know that.” She stood up and moved away from him, distance helping her get a grip of herself again.

“I know.” He said, sounding a little down, looking at his shoes.

“So why are you here, Ethan. You still didn’t answer my question.” She turned back towards him, looking at him with a sympathetic smile, offering her support.

“I- I had to make sure that you’re happy. That you are safe. I- I _really_ missed you, Claire. As a friend, if nothing else. I want to have my friend back. And while I would love to have you back by my side as something more, I know a lost cause when I see one. I know I messed up, I missed my chance. But I had to try. I had to come here and try.” He smiled, looking right at her, offering her his hand. She took it, hesitating a little, but only for a moment. Their fingers interlaced tightly and he spinned her, taking a good look at her.

“I saw you here, and I see that you are happy. _He _makes you happy. And I’m happy for you, because you deserve the world. It would make me insanely happy if you let me back into your life, you’re one of my closest friends, but I will understand.”

She pulled him to her, hugging him tightly, before leaning back, kissing his cheek tenderly.

“Thank you, Ethan. I missed you too, and I’m happy you’re here.”

There was another knock on the door and Sienna’s face came into the view. She took in the scene before her, not sure how to approach the whole situation.

“Please don’t kill me.” She said, her face twisting a little in fear. Claire laughed, looking between her friends.

“No harm done. I’m ready, let’s go get married.” She moved towards the door, her hand still in Ethan’s.

She turned around to face him one last time before she would join Jackson at the altar, watching as their hands let go slowly, their fingers brushing softly before losing touch. She looked just in time to see him mouth ‘I love you’ to her, and she only smiled pensively. She loved her fiancée, there was just that sliver of a question, of what could have been had they not messed up all those years ago.


End file.
